EU attempts to repair relations with Pakistan

[Nahraf]

EU can start this by offering Pakistan preferential trade access to EU markets.

Move Pakistan up the agenda, EU's Ashton urges member states | Earth Times News

Brussels - Pakistan is too important for the European Union to ignore and the EU's foreign ministers should discuss it as a priority at their next meeting, the EU's foreign policy chief said Thursday in a letter seen by the German Press Agency dpa.

The EU sees Pakistan as a key ally in issues such as counter- terrorism and the war in Afghanistan, but has not yet translated that vision into concrete policy. Pakistani officials say the bloc has been too slow to offer broader benefits such as liberalised trade.

"It is my feeling that our relationship with Pakistan has untapped potential, including in the area of development assistance, counter-terrorism and trade," Catherine Ashton wrote ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on September 10-11.

"I would like to propose that we include Pakistan on our agenda" for that meeting, Ashton wrote. The meeting is currently expected to discuss strategic partnerships with states such as China and India, ahead of an EU summit on the same subject on September 16.

Diplomatic sources said that the focus of the debate would be on ways to broaden EU policy to provide more support for Pakistan's economy and long-term development.

Among the options for debate would be a call to offer Pakistan a free-trade agreement in the long term, a more immediate relaxation of import duties on a selection of key products, or medium-term entry into a preferential tariff system known as GSP+, sources familiar with the planning of the meeting said.

Ashton also proposed inviting the EU's commissioners for trade, development and humanitarian aid to the meeting, in order to provide the full range of options for future policy.

The idea of joining up the EU's various policy branches is the philosophy behind its new diplomatic corps, the External Action Service, which is currently being set up and which Ashton is to head.

"This is a great example of the EAS principle in action," a diplomat close to the talks said.

 

[S_O_C_O_M]

E.U. Bid To Undo Cameron's Remarks On Pakistan​

(RTTNews) - The European Union (E.U.) has moved the flood-stricken Pakistan to the top of its agenda.

This is said to be to undo the damage to E.U.-Pakistan relations caused by British Prime Minister David Cameron's comments about Islamabad "exporting terror."

"The damage Cameron caused with those comments really hasn't helped us," an unidentified E.U. diplomat reportedly said, adding that it damages the other 27 [EU states] with what he said, but it was brought into focus the core issues and the need for a wider, better policy.

(British Foreign Secretary William) "Hague himself thought [Cameron's words] were a little naive and has really backed us in this discussion," he said.

His remarks came after the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton sent a letter to the bloc's foreign ministers urging support to Pakistan amidst fears in European capitals that the floods in the South Asian country could further destabilize it.

"It is my feeling that our relationship with Pakistan has untapped potential, including in the area of development assistance, counter-terrorism and trade," she wrote.

She also proposed that the E.U. include Pakistan in its agenda for the next informal meeting of foreign ministers September 10-11, currently expected to discuss partnerships with states including China and India, ahead of an EU summit on the subject Sept 16.

"Pakistan is faced with so many issues, not just the floods, terror, development, (and) India. It's in the E.U.'s interest that we have a stable and prosperous Pakistan, but also the international community as a whole," she said in the letter.

Separately, E.U. trade ministers will meet to explore the trade options with Pakistan, in an approach that would "bring together military, humanitarian aid, development and trade under one umbrella".

The meeting will explore extending benefits of reduced tariffs to Pakistan by including that country in the EU's Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) scheme, or coming up with a set of trade incentives, focusing on specific types of products, including textiles.

Italy's proposal of offering trade incentives to Pakistan earlier this year met with a cold response, but in the wake of the recent floods, E.U. member-states are understood to be more sympathetic to it.

by RTT Staff Writer

E.U. Bid To Undo Cameron's Remarks On Pakistan

 

[sunny001]

Pakistan is too important for the European Union to ignore and the EU's foreign ministers should discuss it as a priority at their next meeting, the EU's foreign policy chief said Thursday in a letter seen by the DPA.

The EU sees Pakistan as a key ally in issues such as counter-terrorism and the war in Afghanistan, but has not yet translated that vision into concrete policy. Pakistani officials say the bloc has been too slow to offer broader benefits such as liberalised trade.

'It is my feeling that our relationship with Pakistan has untapped potential, including in the area of development assistance, counter-terrorism and trade,' Catherine Ashton wrote ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers Sept 10-11.

'I would like to propose that we include Pakistan on our agenda' for that meeting, Ashton wrote. The meeting is currently expected to discuss strategic partnerships with states such as China and India, ahead of an EU summit on the same subject Sept 16.

Diplomatic sources said that the focus of the debate would be on ways to broaden EU policy to provide more support for Pakistan's economy and long-term development.

Among the options for debate would be a call to offer Pakistan a free-trade agreement in the long term, a more immediate relaxation of import duties on a selection of key products, or medium-term entry into a preferential tariff system known as GSP+, sources familiar with the planning of the meeting said.

Ashton also proposed inviting the EU's commissioners for trade, development and humanitarian aid to the meeting, in order to provide the full range of options for future policy.

The idea of joining up the EU's various policy branches is the philosophy behind its new diplomatic corps, the External Action Service, which is currently being set up and which Ashton is to head.

'This is a great example of the EAS principle in action,' a diplomat close to the talks said

source: 'Pakistan is too important for EU to ignore'

 

[Fighter488]

EU attempts to repair relations with Pakistan​

Foreign policy chief moves flood-stricken country to top of agenda after British PM's comments about exporting terrorism

Leigh Phillips in Brussels
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 12 August 2010 23.37 BST

The EU's foreign policy chief, Lady Ashton, has moved Pakistan to the top of the EU agenda after the floods, aiming to undo damage to EU-Pakistan relations by David Cameron when the prime minister accused Islamabad of exporting terrorism.

"The damage Cameron did with those comments really hasn't helped us," an EU diplomat said after Ashton, the EU high representative, sent a letter to foreign ministers urging a step-change in support for Pakistan as some in European capitals fear the floods could further destabilise the country.

"It damages the other 26 [EU states] what he said, but it's brought into focus the core issues and the need for a wider, better strategy," the official said. "Hague himself thought [Cameron's words] were a little naive and has really backed us in this discussion."​

In what is seen by some to be the first foreign policy crisis response of EU's brand new diplomatic corps, the External Action Service, Ashton wants a multi-faceted approach going beyond immediate flood relief. She believes the EU should be constructing a plan for the next 10 years, "a coherent, sustainable long-term strategy to deal with EU-Pakistan relations for the long term".

"Pakistan is faced with so many issues, not just the floods, terror, development, India. It's in the EU's interest that we have a stable and prosperous Pakistan, but also the international community as a whole."​

Ashton has placed the discussion prominently on the agenda of the next informal foreign minister's meeting and has asked the EU's heads of trade, development and emergency response to attend the meeting.

EU trade ministers will meet the same day in a separate meeting to tackle the trade options that could be offered to Pakistan. The approach would "bring together military, humanitarian aid, development and trade under one umbrella".

Two of the key options would be to extend reduced tariffs to Pakistan by including it in the EU's generalised system of preferences (GSP) scheme, or to construct a tailor-made set of trade preferences for the country, focusing on specific types of products such as textiles.

Italy had earlier this year backed offering trade incentives to the country, but was met with a lack of interest. In the wake of the floods, however, EU member states are understood now to be more sympathetic to the options.

Earlier this week, the EU's chief diplomat in the country, Tomas Niklasson, called for an immediate fresh new security analysis to be undertaken by the bloc as a result of the disaster.

"We will have to ask questions about what impact it will have on government capacity, how it will affect perceptions of government response, the economy, foreign investors – the floods will affect a lot of things in the country and could have implications on the security situation," he told the EUobserver.


EU attempts to repair relations with Pakistan | World news | The Guardian

 

[TheRafael00000]

Pakistan should welcome everyone who wants to make relation apart from Israel.